In recent years, there has been an increasing concern about health-oriented values of deep-fat fried foods. Such concerns have been voiced in both the popular and scientific press. Yet, breaded foods enjoy wide consumer appeal because of their color and crisp appearance, and their crisp, crunchy texture evident on eating, viz., mouth-feel.
It is also recognized that many consumers perceive baked foods to be more healthful than fried foods. In response to this recognition, certain food manufacturers have devoted effort to provide various breaded foods which can be prepared in the oven for serving. These breaded foods include food-service and retail items. They are uncooked, partially cooked, or fully cooked prior to quick freezing. This class of food items is prepared with traditional batter-breading systems employed in making products for deep-fat frying with a change in directions for preparation for serving to accommodate oven reconstitution.
In addition, a search of the prior art indicates that considerable effort has been spent in developing complete breading mixes for the preparation of coated oven-baked foods. These mixes are intended mostly for home use. In the prior art, as recited in the patent literature, much is made of the ability to achieve baked breaded foods whose characteristics simulate those achieved by deep-fat frying.
This prior art is summarized in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 3,586,512; 3,843,827; 3,852,501; 4,068,009; 4,199,603; 4,208,442; 4,218,485; and 4,260,637. In a U.K. patent application, GB 2,091,532A, an aerated batter containing solid, plastic, or liquid shortenings is described.
The attractive characteristics of deep-fat fried foods include appearance values such as uniform golden or golden-brown color, uniformity of breading coverage, and an appearance of crispness (in contrast to wetness and sogginess). Also, physical characteristics such as breading coat adherence to the core food (lack of flakiness on handling), cohesiveness of the coating, and a complete coating are expected. In addition, the crispy, crunchy character of the food coating when eaten is obviously important for maximum consumer appeal. It is necessary that breaded foods designed for oven baking achieve these characteristics in order to satisfy consumer desires.
Breaded food-service and retail items, designed for oven baking but not home preparations, require other attributes or characteristics in addition to those listed above. The breaded food coating must have sufficient strength and integrity including adhesion to the core food and uniform cohesion whether the product is in the raw, partially cooked, or cooked state to withstand the normal rigors of volume line production, freezing, packaging, storage, transporation, handling, etc.
Our examination has revealed to us that breaded food products made according to the prior art for oven preparation lack one or more of the attributes or characteristics cited above, and which are required to achieve the qualities necessary for effective and efficient production and purveying, and to achieve sound consumer acceptance of an ovenable breaded food. Thus there exists a need for an innovative resolution of this food industry problem.